Closure for receptacles



G.- W. POPPE CLOSURE FOR RECEPTACLES May 21, 1940.

Filed Dec. 27, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 llllll ll |||l..

Ill Idlllll mg INVENTOR GEORGE MPQPPE G. w. POPPE CLOSURE FOR REcEP'rAcLEs May 21, 1940.

2 She'ts-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 27, 1938 INVENTOR GEORGE 14/ 1 02 .5

Patented May 21, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOSURE FOR RECEPTACLES Application December 27, 1938, Serial No. 247,777

9 Claims.

This invention relates to closures for paper bag envelopes and like receptacles and is an improvement on the type of closure shown in my Patent ii-2,009,411, issued July 30, 1935.

In the type of closure disclosed in said patent and particularly in Figure thereof, two parallel spaced slits are forced in the closing flap and oppositely facing tongues or tabs are provided in the bag walls. The slits in the flap are of substantially the same length as the base line of the tabs. When a closure of this type is used with relatively heavy paper, difficulty is experienced in inserting the tabs through the slits and in relatively light paper the locking action is not as effective as is sometimes desired.

An object of the present invention is to provide a closure which more efiectively secures together the walls of a receptacle or the flap of a receptacle to the walls thereof.

Another object is theprovision of a closure in which the walls of the receptacle are more effectively secured together but which may readily be manipulated even when relatively heavy paper is used in the receptacle structure. A further object is the provision of a closure adapted effectively to secure the walls of a receptacle to gether or the flap of such a receptacle to the walls thereof and which can be produced on an ordinary bag machine, at high speed.

In the patent to Deubener 1,461,727, July 17, 1923, a closure device is shown in which tabs are provided on the closing flap and slits are provided in one wall thereof. When the flap is folded over the tabs and slits are so related that the tab cannot be pushed through the slits in the normal superposed position of the tab and receptacle walls. It is necessary to considerably distort the whole receptacle in order that the tabs may be inserted through the slits. A further difliculty is encountered by reason of the fact that the slits pass through one wall only of the receptacle.

A feature of the invention residesin the provision of a closure for securing together the walls of receptacles where such walls occupy a definite superposed relation and in which a tab is cut from one of the walls which tab has an edge portion at one end of its base which meets the base line or an extension thereof at an acute angle; the other wall having a cut of a length which is not less than the width of the tab, the tab and cut being so related that the tab may be bent through the opening formed by the out without any distortion of the walls of the receptaclein their superposed position.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a tab out from each of the two superposed walls, the tabs extending in opposite directions from their base lines and adapted to be interlaced in the superposed position of the walls.

Further features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description and claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a front elevation of the upper portion of a bag with the closing flap in open position and showing the invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a somewhat similar View, with the flap folded over Figure 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the receptacle shown in Figure 2, but from the opposite side of the receptacle;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 with the thicknesses considerably exaggerated;

Figure 5 is a front elevation of a bag with the flap open and showing the invention in a somewhat modified form;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but with the fiap in folded over position;

Figure 7 is a View showing a still further modified form in which the invention may be embodied;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 with the flap folded over;

Figure 9 shows the invention applied to a laundry bag open along one edge;

Figure 10 is an enlarged view of a portion of the'upper bag wall shown in Figure 9; and

Figure 11 is a similar view of the lower bag wall shown in Figure 9.-

The form of the invention shown in Figure 1 is a desired commercial form, but the invention may be embodied in other forms to be later described.

The type of receptacle shown in Figure 1 is a paper bag having a front wall 2 and a rear wall 4, Figure 3, and a closing flap 5 which is a prolongation of the rear wall 4 and is adapted to be folded over onto the front wall 2 to close the mouth of the bag. In this embodiment the bag is shown as having an overlapped seam, one edge 8 of which appears in the flap 6. Paste lines 9 may be applied along the edges of the overlap and in the center.

The closure device in the form of the invention shown in Figure 1 includes a pair of tabs l0 cut from the closing flap. Each of these tabs having an edge portion ll at one end thereof which edge portion makes an acute angle with the extension of the base line. l2 of each tab.

The Walls 2 and 4 of the bag structure are also provided with a pair of tabs I 4. Each of these tabs has an end portion l6 which meets the base line I8 of the tab at an acute angle. The edge IQ of each of these tabs is slightly curved and the length of each cut forming the tab is longer than the greatest width of the tabs ill in the flap. When the flap 6 is folded down over the bag walls, the tabs l0 and tabs I4 are so related that the two series of tabs may be interlaced with each other to thereby secure the walls of the bag together and the flap to the bag walls.

Figure 2 shows the tabs l0 interlaced with the tabs l4 and it will be noted that the edges [6 extend slightly beyond the edges ll. This permits the tabs l0 and M to be readily interlaced even when relatively heavy paper is used. By making the cuts which form the tabs 14 slightly shorter at their lower ends, such that the edges II and 16 are substantially superposed in the folded over position of the flap, a somewhat better locking action is obtained. Such an arrangement would be suitable for relatively light paper. The length of the cuts forming the tabs It, may be varied to suit different conditions and their shape also may be varied.

Figure 3 shows the reverse side of the bag from that shown in Figure 2 in perspective, with the tabs ill standing slightly away from the rear wall 4 of the bag in order that the construction of the locking device may be more readily understood.

In the form shown in Figure 5, the tabs H) are not provided with the edges H but the tabs I4 are substantially like the tabs shown in Figure 1 except that the edges I9 are straight. When the flap 6 is folded over as shown in Figure 6, the tabs Ill may be flexed through the cuts in the bag walls and due to the relative position of the cuts and tabs, the tabs may be flexed or bent through the cuts in the normal superposed position of the flap 6 considered as one wall and either of the walls of the bag proper considered as another wall, without any distortion of the bag structure. In the Figure 5 construction, the tabs l4 have an edge It which meets the base line l8 of the tab, at an acute angle.

It is of course obvious that one tab Ill may be provided in the flap and a single tab 14 in each of the bag walls, with similar locking effect, but the locking action is not quite as secure as when a pair of tabs of each kind are used. The form shown in Figures 5 and 6 is adapted to lighter paper. In the case of heavier paper the seam may be offset or may be a side seam. In such cases the tabs in would be located in that portion of the flap having a single ply of paper only, and the tabs I l would each contain but two plies of paper. In the Figures 1 and 2 constructions, where the seam is overlapped, and the tabs are within the overlapped portion of the seam, there are two plies of paper in the tabs IE! and three plies of paper in the tabs [4, as will be readily understood. The plies are also shown in Figure 4 where the thickness has been considerably exaggerated.

The tabs H! as shown in Figures 1 and 2 have edge portions It at each end thereof but the closure is also effective as a locking closure where the edges 16 are at one end only of the tab. Such a construction is shown in Figures 7 and 8. The tabs are here shown on a bag having an offset narrow seam. I3.

In Figures 9, 10 and 11, the closure is shown as applied to a so-called garment bag, which is relatively long in proportion to its width and is open at one side, as indicated at 20, Figure 9. A closure device is shown near the top and bottom of such a bag, and the elements constituting the closure more clearly shown in Figures 10 and 11.

In Figure 10 a portion only of the upper wall 2 is shown and in Figure 11 the lower wall 4. The tab I0 is shown in the upper wall of Figure 10 and is similar to the tab shown in Figure 1. The tab [4 is shown in Figure 11 and is similar to that shown in Figure '7.

It will be noted by reference to Figure 1, for instance, that the base line l2 of each tab In substantially coincides with a line spaced from the base lines I8 of the tabs 14, a distance substantially equal to the length of the tab l4 assuming the flap 6 to be folded over in the Figure 2 position. With this relation and due to the shape and length of the cuts in the walls, the tabs It! may readily be snapped through the cuts.

While the tabs H) are shown in the flap it is obvious that they may be made in the bag walls, and that the cuts forming the associated tabs may be made in the flap.

Other variations in the tabs and cuts may be resorted to within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A device for securing together the walls of a receptacle which walls occupy a definite superposed relation, a tab cut from one of said walls, said tab having an edge portion at one end of its base meeting its base line at an obtuse angle, a tab cut from the other wall having an edge portion at one end thereof meeting its base line at an acute angle, the tabs extending in opposite directions from their bases. the tabs adapted to be interlaced in the definite superposed position of the walls and without disturbing such definite position.

2. A device for securing together the walls of a receptacle which walls occupy a definite superposed relation, two tabs cut from one of said walls, the tabs extending in opposite directions from. their bases, and spaced apart, each of said tabs having an edge portion at one end of its base meeting its base line at an obtuse angle, a cut in the other wall associated with each tab and substantially coinciding with the base line thereof, each cut being of a length not less than the width of its associated tab.

3. A receptacle having front and rear walls and a closing flap at the mouth of the receptacle adapted to be folded over onto one of said walls, a tab cut from said flap and a tab cut from at least one of said walls, the tabs extending in opposite direction from their respective bases, in the folded over position of the flap one of said tabs having an edge portion at one end of its base meeting the base line at an obtuse angle, the other tab having an edge longer than the width of the other tab, the tabs adapted to be interlaced in the folded over position of the flap.

4. A receptacle including front and rear walls and a closing flap at the mouth of the receptacle adapted to be folded over onto one of said walls, a tab cut from said flap and superposed tabs cut from said walls, the flap and wall tabs extending in opposite direction from their respective bases in the folded over position of the flap, one of said tabs having an edge portion at one end of its base meeting the base line at an obtuse angle, the other tab having an edge meeting the outer edge of the tab at an obtuse angle, the tabs adapted to be interlaced in the folded over position of the flap.

5. A receptacle including front and rear walls and a closing flap at the mouth of the receptacle adapted to be folded over onto one of said walls, a tab cut from said flap and a tab cut from. at least one of said walls, one of said tabs having an edge portion at one end of its base meeting the base line at an obtuse angle, the other tab having an edge meeting its base line at an acute angle, the base line of the obtuse angled tab substantially coinciding with a line spaced from the base of the acute angled tab a distance substantially equal to the length of the latter tab in the folded over position of the flap, the tabs adapted to be interlaced in this position.

6. A receptacle including front and rear walls and a closing flap at the mouth of the receptacle adapted to be folded over onto one of said walls, a tab cut from said flap and a tab cut from at least one of said walls, oneof said tabs having an edge portion at one end of its base meeting the base line at an obtuse angle, the other tab having an edge meeting the base line at an acute angle which is not greater than the supplement of the first mentioned angle, the base line of the first mentioned tab substantially coinciding with a line spaced from the base of the other tab a distance substantially equal to the length of the latter tab in the folded over position of the flap, the tabs adapted tobe interlaced in this position.

'7. A receptacle including front and rear walls and a closing flap at the mouth of the receptacle adapted to be folded over onto one of said walls, a tab cut from said flap and a tab cut from at least one of said walls, said tabs extending in opposite directions from their bases, one of said tabs having an edge portion at one end of its base meeting the base line at an obtuse angle, the other tab having an edge meeting its base line at an acute angle, the tabs adapted to be interlaced in the folded over position of the flap.

8. A receptacle including front and rear walls and a closing flap at the mouth of the receptacle adapted to be folded over onto one of said walls, a tab cut from said flap and a tab cut from at least one of said walls, saidtabs extending in opposite directions from their bases, one of said tab-s having an edge portion at one end of its base meeting the base line at an obtuse angle, the other tab having side edges meeting its base line at an acute angle, the edge of said latter tab opposite its base line being concave in relation to the base line, the other tab being of general convex contour in relation to its base line, the tabs adapted to be interlaced in the folded over position of the flap.

9. A receptacle including front and rear walls and a closing flap at the mouth of the receptacle adapted to be folded over onto one of said walls, a tab cut from said flap and a tab cut from at least one of said walls, one of said tabs having an edge portion at one end of its base meeting the base line at an obtuse angle, the other tab having an edge meeting its base line at an acute angle which is no greater than the supplement of the first mentioned angle, the length of the acute angled tab being not greater than onehalf the length of the obtuse angled tab,.the base line of, the obtuse angled tab substantially coinciding with a line spaced from the base of the acute angled tab a distance substantially equal to the length of the latter tab in the folded over position of the, flap, the tabs adapted to be interlaced in this position.

GEORGE W. POPPE. 

